The Red Cage: A Leader's Test
by Nightwillow7
Summary: "The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way"
1. Operation: Red Snare

The battlezone burned bright in the midday sun as the star's unrelenting rays blazed across the rocky terrain. Heat rose in shimmering gusts as roars of engines encapsuled the echoing valleys of stone. Five cars sped through the canyon, the colors of their vehicles glaring sharply in the sun. The Saber led the way for the rest of the Battle Force 5 as they pursued their hard-driven enemies, the Red Sentient Five, across the wasteland of the canyon floor. Zoom, upon the Chopper, shot forward with a burst of speed from the youngest BF5 member as he thought about facing off against his counterpart, Kytren. The entire team was on edge as they pursued the sentients.

The Red Sentients weren't far ahead as the BF5 closed the gap between the two warring teams and each member clashed with their respective counterparts. The Saber collided head on with the Syfurious as the leaders tangled. Vert, despite all the noise, was able to hear Krytus' guttural growl of rage as his vehicle was sent careening to the left. Krytus struck back, however, as he rammed into the Saber, grinding the fast-moving vehicle into the sidewall of a cavern they had entered. Sparks sputtered to life as Vert's car scraped along the wall. The blonde struggled to maintain control as he was rammed from the side once again. There seemed to be a new ferocity in Krtytus' attacks as he slammed the Syfurious back at Vert once more, causing the Saber's chassis to shake violently.

The last impact managed to crack the Saber's windshield and with each sideswipe, the crack continued to spiderweb across Vert's line of sight. Vert poured on the gas to avoid another collision, but wasn't as fortunate as the Syfurious rammed his back set of wheels. Vert looked on in a panic behind him as the Saber shook violently. The instrument paneling in front of him began to flash red, signaling a tire blowout and a coolant leak in the engine. The BF5 leader gritted his teeth as another tremor quaked across the Saber, meaning there went second rear tire. Vert had become so focused on the newly aroused issues that he missed the sharp curve in the road and collided head long with it. The Saber lurched up and over the rocks, flipping end over end. Vert held on for dear life as the Saber rolled about. In the commotion, his forehead connected with the splintered windshield and glass flew in all directions. The Saber tossed and turned several more times before grinding to a stop, smoke trailing into the sky.

The rest of the Battle Force 5 watched on in horror as no response came from their leader. Agura flicked the commlink and tried to make contact, but the radio fizzled in response. Zoom's face was a mixture of fear, shock, and sadness, as he stared wide-eyed at the smoking Saber. From within said vehicle, Vert groaned slightly as fresh pain blossomed behind his eyes and the throbbing intensified to the point where he could do nothing but blackout. Blood trailed down his face from a gash across his forehead and chunks of glass lay about his feet in the floorboard as jagged shards. As the remains of the battle quelled, Battle Force 5 remained persistent in hailing their leader as the red sentients watched and planned amongst themselves.

"Krytus, thermal scan indicates the human remains alive," Kyburi radioed.

"Excellent," Krytus cackled, "Initiate Operation: Red Snare and rendez-vous back at headquarters when you're done.

The commlink clicked off as each sentient activated their vehicle: Kyrosis, Krtyus, and Kytren retreatin while Kyburi and Krylox approached the stalled wreckage of the Saber. Agura was the first to spot the impending danger and taking control, iniated the protocol for a man down. The Tangler roared to life and moved to intercept Kyburi, but ended up smashing into the Chopper from a sideswipe directed by Krylox. The red then engaged the Splitwire and Reverb in a two on to match, keeping them occupied as Kyburi made her move. Said huntress magged her vehicle to the Saber and began to haul the BF ride to the swirling stormshock of the Red Sentient homeworld. Agura had just gotten untangled from the Chopper when she witnessed the kidnapping of her leader firsthand. Shock swarmed over the BF5 lieutenant as the stormshock sizzled out of existance. A bright, explosive light took her by surprise and jarred her from her reverie. She glanced upwards to see Krylox's essence drifting into the sky and out of sight.

"Agura?" Tezz radioed, his voice filling her speakers.

"What?" she answered slowly.

"Where is the Captain?"

"They...took him...they took Vert..."

**(Red Homeworld-Prison Bay 99248)**

A roaring headache was all that greeted Vert as he stirred from his forced slumber. He pressed a numb hand to his forehead and as his eyes opened slowly, his vision swam and everything appeared extremely blurry. The blonde's brow furrowed when his surroundings became clearer and red glaring lights formed infront of both him and the much darker, foreboding background. Confusion pushed aside his pain for a short moment as Vert sat up slightly, his entire body aching with th effot. The Battle Force 5 leader looked about in a rising panic as his vision returned fully. _This wasn't the battlezone!_ Vert rocketed to his feet, only to stumble back to the floor as dizziness overtook him. When the vertigo passed, he looked about once again and what he saw chilled him to the bone. He was inside one of Krytus' former interrogation facilities and around him were multiple cells with the same electric red bars. The only real morbid part was the multitude of dust-covered blue sentient shells discarded within the much older cells. Vert's cell bars glowed brighter than the others, hinting that his cell must have been new or it had been recently recharged for a fully expected visit. _The only question was why was he here?_ The red-clad leader received his answer wen a door panel installed in the wall slipped away suddenly and Krytus walked through. The red sentient had an accomplished grin on his face as he stared down the trapped BF5 member. On instinct, Vert returned the stare with twice as much venom. The expected reaction caused Krytus' face to twist into a sick sneer towards the human prisoner. The sentient stopped just inches sort of the amped up security cell.

"Hello, human," he greeted cooly.

"Krytus..." Vert growled, "What do you want? Why am I here?"

"Simple: you have something I need and I plan to get it."

"I'll never give up Sage's location or the Earth's. I'd sooner _die_!"

Vert crossed his arms in defiance and turned away from the waiting sentient. The angry glare he had formed ultimately disappeared as the Krytus gave a low chortle. Much to the blonde's surprise, the evil smile was still there and Krtyus just looked on in satisfaction as the sentient disappeared through the door, leaving the human prisoner to be alone. Vert let his arms fall to his sides as he drifted into though. _What did Krytus have planned for him? _The blonde's head throbbed slightly and exhaustion set in, every nerve in his body crying for sleep. Vert sighed and leaned backwards, only to receive an angry shock to the back. He yelped in surprise and recoiled away from the bars. The BF5 leader swore out loud as he realized what had happened. His shocksuit may have absorbed most of the charge, but that surge still packed a punch. He stayed sitting upright for awhile, but the thought of sleep was too enticing. So, Vert curled himself up as best he could on the floor and let his eyes fall shut to muster any sleep possible.


	2. The Beginning

**(Day 1)**

The next day approached too soon for Vert as was rudely awakened by a hard jab to the side. When he finally opened his eyes, the blonde grimaced in disgust at the sight of a Sark sentry guard and Krylox. Still groggy, the red-clad leader rose unsteadily as the bars around him disappeared and the Sark stepped forward, stun baton at the ready. The hulking sentient near the Sark shoved it aside and seized Vert by the arms, binding his wrists with a band similar to a Mag bond used in their vehicles. The energy band conformed to his wrists, tightening with any jerky movements. Krylox ushered Vert out a door and down an almost endless corridor. The brute used harsh pushes to keep the prisoner moving until the reached a new place; someplace Vert could only guess was an interrogation room.

As they entered said room, Krtyus was there, as menacing as ever, to greet the new prisoner. A cruel grin crossed the red's face as Krylox left the two to their devices. Vert felt himself frown at Krytus. He hated the feeling of being trapped, but with the Mag band around his wrists, no clear of course of action could be seen. With that said in mind, the blonde stood at his full height with a hard expression forming. It wasn't much of an improvement seeing as Krytus was a somewhat taller and bulkier than the BF5 leader.

"We meet again, human, only I believe I have the home field advantage," Krytus taunted.

"Kind of a bleak advantage, if you ask me. Ever heard of other colors?" Vert replied, a blank look on his face, "You should really fire your decorator."

"Make smart remarks all you like, it will only make things worse for you in the long run."

"Worse? I'm looking at you right now, how could it get worse?

Vert had no time to register what happened next as the wind was forced from his lungs and pain blossomed in his lower abdomen. He felt himself double over as Krytus uncurled his own fist backwards from the initial punch. The shrunken blonde took in small gasps, trying to ease his breathing back to normal as the sentient watched. Vert managed a venomous glare upwards to the red as he breathed roughly while standing straight again. Krytus merely laughed as his prisoner drew in another shaky breath, much to the human's annoyance. Vert's eyes followed Krytus' movements, fully aware of the sentient's interrogation methods now. The red stopped short of a large window, perhaps a two-way mirror, which reflected his image back towards the pair. His burning gaze found Vert's reflection and his anger rose temporarily as he contemplated the prisoner's snide comments, but he beat the emotion. The human had no idea the lengths Krytus could go to accomplish his goals.

The sentient took notice of the look on Vert's face and it sent a thrill of satisfaction to his core. Krytus' sadistic nature flourished when he could instill fear into his enemies, even if it was a simple show of hesitation. Vert felt his muscles stiffen as Krytus smiled once more. It was disturbing, to say the least, to see the sentient so enthralled. Vert felt himself take an involuntary step backwards and instantly regretted giving into his thoughts of self-preservation.

"So, skipping formalities, reveal to me the location of my insolent whelp of a sister," Krytus demanded, never turning to from the wall.

"I have a feeling we might be here awhile," Vert said back.

"If that is the case, I shall have you know that if there is one thing the Crypt Zone has taught me, it is patience."

Vert bit back a smart remark and chose to answer with the question with silence. Despite having bestowed wariness in the prisoner, Krytus still grew annoyed when the human wouldn't play along in banter as he usually did on the battlefield. The red sentient turned away from the mirrored wall and circled his prisoner once, searching for some change in facial expression, a slacking in body posture. Krytus received no such gift as Vert kept his gaze straightforward. Krytus gritted his fangs in frustration and paused, gathering together a new approach to his original objective.

"Perhaps you'll tell me in exchange for something? Your life, maybe? Does your flame hold any value to you? Or maybe if I spare your friends the agony of death and let them live as servants to my reds?"

"Fat chance, Krytus. Your offers are nothing and I hope that when I go down fighting, my _flame_, as you put it, burns you to ash and I can take you with me," Vert ventured.

Without warning, the sentient's fist came flying forwards, but Vert was prepared as he leaned backwards, barely avoiding the attack. Another fist came swinging his way and the blonde dodged once more, but his footing betrayed him as Krytus tripped the BF5 leader. Vert hit the floor hard; his once restored wind now stolen from his yet again. His bound hands dug into his lower back as he gazed up at the ceiling in a pained daze. There was a dull ache at the back of his skull starting to grow as he felt a strong force wrap about his throat and a smoldering gaze filled his spotty vision. Krytus leaned in close, teeth bared in anger.

"Your mouth will be the end of you yet, human," Krytus whispered, "But be warned, for this is only the beginning."

Krytus released his grasp and allowed Vert a little breathing room. As the interrogation ceased, Krylox made his second appearance and hauled Vert to his feet. The blonde had just enough time to register the sickening glare from Krytus before he was pulled from the room entirely. They made it back to the holding bay in no time as the brute of a sentient reactivated cage around the human prisoner. As they bars came up, the Mag band around Vert's wrists disappeared. He rubbed the soreness away as Krylox departed, leaving him alone. The first thing to distract Vert from his new ordeal was the aching of his stomach. He felt slightly nauseated from Krytus' gut shot and no food since yesterday's lunch. The blonde thought momentarily about just how long he'd been there, but couldn't think much of it as his stomach growled. _Is this how Krytus would break him? By starvation?_ Vert only shook his head, knowing the sentient was crueler than that. He would keep him alive to inflict as much pain as possible. To say the least, the thought was sickening and the blonde grimaced as he sat down on the hard floor. What felt like an hour passed by and the hunger finally subsided for the time being as Vert settled into a some-what comfortable sleeping position. His eyes grew as he let the hum of the bars act as a twisted medley to sleep by while he drifted into a blank darkness.


	3. The Bait Be Set

**(Day 2)**

"Awaken, human!" Krytus called.

Vert sighed inwardly, his blue eyes opening to the shape of Krytus. He sat up groggily and got to his feet to avoid enduring the wrath of the red. The BF5 leader stifled a yawn while being aware of how his shoulders, back, and legs were cramped and sore from the night before. Vert resisted the urge to stretch, opting instead to stand, defiant to any fear inflicted by the sentient's tone. Moments went by as Krytus seemed to drift in thought, leaving Vert alone for a short while, but that was all a part of the plan. The studied his prisoner carefully, waiting for the tell-tale sign for his prey's curiosity to win over caution…there! Krytus lunged, fingers ensnaring the front of Vert's shocksuit, dragging him forward. Vert cried out in shock and pain as he connected with the bars, their defense mechanisms triggering on contact. The electricity crackled across his suit in droves, snaking up and down in harsh bites.

Krytus felt the electricity gnaw at his own grip slightly and the sentient released the prisoner after a few more agonizing seconds. As soon as the anchor that held him was gone, Vert plummeted backwards into another dose of shocks. It was before any real damage could be done that the bars faded away. The leader of Battle Force 5 hit the floor in a daze, feeling breathless. Krytus towered over the helpless figure and a smirk marred his features. Vert tried to glare at the sentient, but his wouldn't focus, no matter how much he willed it too. Krytus chuckled darkly and crossed his arms, "How does it feel, human? To be so helpless before the enemy? It must be degrading, but I can assure you, it only gets worse."

The sentient leaned away from his prisoner and called for his mechanical soldiers to come and collect the captive. Upon his shout, a duo of the mindless Sark entered and saluted to their leader before they picked up Vert in their metal grasps. Krytus motioned towards the three and told them to follow him. It was back to the interrogation room for the day it seemed. By the time they had reached the dreaded room, Vert had regained most of his motor skills, but his words still wouldn't come out as more than a drunken slur, rather than something coherent. The Sark deposited him inside the room with their master and departed immediately. Even if the room was no longer in a foggy haze, Vert still found it difficult to think straight. Every attempt he made scattered his thoughts and rendered speech even more useless. The most he could understand that as soon as the Sark had left, Kyburi had entered with the deranged Kytren tagging along.

The trio of reds stood just out of hearing range, their voices low and Kytren's insane snicker sometimes escaping the throng only to be hushed sharply by a hiss from the huntress. That was never good. If Kytren ever found something entertaining, it would mean extreme pain and there was only one person in the room that that could count towards. The BF5 leader, his mind finally together, strained hard to listen. His still only managed to catch snip-its of the conversation before the talking died away completely. Vert looked away in alarm, unsure of the consequences if they had caught him eavesdropping. If they had, none of them said as Kytren took a leaned position against the back wall and Kyburi and Krytus approached him. The female sentient had a dangerous look about her; chilling enough to make his skin crawl. Krytus was a different story as he wore a more solid, blank expression…almost uncaring. The huntress exchanged a glance with her leader and he smiled approvingly. He circled around and seized Vert's arms, pinning them to his back. Vert watched the two carefully, muscles tensing as Kyburi stopped in front of him. She clasped her hands together, making her claws click together in an unnerving manner.

"Tell me, human, are you afraid?" she hissed in a husky whisper, fangs gleaming, "You have plenty of reason to be…"

"You're about as scary as Stanford when his hair gel wears off," Vert answered, smirking slightly at the memory and meeting her gaze.

"It seems you really are full of spunk, Crimson One," Kyburi murmured, flexing her claws, "I'm not a fan of spunk."

Vert found himself wincing as one of those deadly nails found its way across his left cheek, leaving a gleaming red line, but he just jerked his head away and admonished her attempt to unnerve him. "Threaten all you like, kill me even, but I'll never tell."

"Oh, so unwise," Kyburi cackled, tasting the blood slowly much to Vert's disgust and said, "Fine, let's forget about Sage and your friends for a minute. Tell me about yourself."

Vert fell short of an answer as her ploy took a new turn and knocked him completely off his guard. _Why did she want to know about him? Was she looking for a weakness; something to use against him? _He couldn't formulate a response for the waiting huntress, so he waited and so did she. The fires of her brimstone gaze burned into him harshly as she tapped her foot slightly. Kyburi was obviously the master of patience and of cold indifference as she broke the stare to examine the watchful gaze of Krytus. He bore an annoyed expression, revealing his impatience. She merely offered him a calloused curl of her lip and she regarded Vert once more.

"Tongue-tied, human? Maybe I can jog your memory. We both know where you come from, who you are allied with, who your friends are…am I forgetting anything? Family, perhaps?" she intoned, drawing another line of red down Vert's neck.

Her last suggestion hit Vert hard as he snapped from his silence. The sudden movement left a jagged scratch down his exposed neck from where Kyburi's nail had been, but that portion would merely form a nasty whelp later on. His burst of awareness was all the huntress needed as she cackled to herself shrilly and waved Kytren over. The scout had his face twisted in a demonic smile as he walked over. In his palm seemed to be some sort of strange device that beeped steadily, a yellow blip blinking near the center. Fear knotted itself deep inside Vert as he divined its true purpose. It was surely a tracking device attuned specifically with the one implanted inside his dad's genetic levels. He felt his face flush as his eyes met Kyburi's once more and she gave him a baleful grin.

"Yes, that's right…we know where he is," she hissed, face aglow with a sick joy.

"You'll never catch him," Vert responded, more to assure himself rather than them.

Kyburi smirked yet again and took away the tracker. She turned her back to the prisoner as she returned the tracker to Kytren and it took everything Vert had to not lunge at Kyburi over a sudden protective anger for his father. He may not have had many fond memories with his dad, but that didn't mean he didn't love him. Vert would do anything to protect him…almost anything because the mission came first, he reminded himself silently. Her eyes returned to his suddenly and he glowered at her. For once Vert let himself go and bared his own teeth her way, threatening to kill her if anything happened to his dad. The huntress seemed undeterred by his threat, but it didn't go unnoticed as he felt a bruising jab to his back directed by Krytus. The blonde just snorted and turned his head away, receiving an annoyed growl from Krytus who tugged on his pinned arms sharply. Kyburi shook her head at the two and regarded her fellow sentient as Kyrosis entered to report a stormshock being detected. Vert felt himself pulled backwards until he met Krytus' stare; an answer to the prisoner's thoughts.

"Your friends will be weak without you. Absolutely ripe for the picking. Maybe if you help yourself here, you could help them there," the red reasoned, "Any thoughts?"

"Guess I'll be seeing you the next time you respawn," Vert remarked slowly, jaw clenched.

Krytus snarled and pushed the prisoner towards Kyburi. Vert felt her strong grip replace his as the lead red moved away; barking orders to his lessers to double the Sark and strike hard when contact was made. Him, Kyrosis, and Kytren departed from the room as Kyburi pulled Vert along beside her back to the holding bay. He felt the thrum of the bars as they flashed into place, separating him and the huntress. He kept his hateful glower glued to his face, but Kyburi ignored it. She seemed to be glancing about nervously, as if she hoped to not get caught doing something she shouldn't. That something was staring point-blank at Vert and mouthing _"I'm sorry" _before retreating hastily from the prison to join her comrades on the field.

Vert watched after her in stunned silence. _Had she just…apologized?_ The idea of a red feeling remorse towards a prisoner was so abstract that he felt dumbfounded just trying to wrap his mind around it. Denial tugged at his mind as he tried to consider the possibility and eventually he just sat on the ground with a thud. He distanced himself from the topic, making room to view the odd situation from a new angle, but every single answer he formulated led back to having a red ally was impossible and any thinking on the matter was improbable and would get him nowhere. Groaning in agitation, Vert forced his mind back to his original worries: those being his dad. At first, he had considered that this battle would only be between him and Krytus, but the thought of his dad actually getting dragged into his mess frightened him. _What would they do to his father? _A question like that was too broad a topic to warrant a sensible answer, Vert decided. The BF5 leader suddenly felt mentally exhausted from having too much to worry about shove his way in the past hour. He wanted badly to fall asleep just then, but his mind enjoyed kicking the crap out of him when he was down it seemed as it dragged him back to reality with thoughts of his team. _Were the winning or losing?_ Vert knew they were under capable leadership without him, but he couldn't just trust his instincts. Krytus had left in a foul mood would either return in one or come back grinning. It wouldn't be until a few hours from then or even another day that he would get is answer. Growling to himself, the blonde tended to the cuts Kyburi had left and settled in for the long wait; eyes fluttering shut as he did.


	4. Comes Along the Wayward Soul

**(Day 3)**

The silence that greeted Vert when he awoke the next day should have been warning enough that something was wrong. He hadn't put much effort into exploring the uneasy feeling twisting inside him then because that had been the first time in two days that Vert had managed a full night of sleep. He actually felt somewhat refreshed, but any for of comfort was lost when a sharp pain raced across his side. His eyes snapped open immediately to find a seething Krytus leering down at him. The enraged sentient shouted for the prisoner to get up and Vert didn't hesitate to do so, keeping a wary gaze locked on the fuming red at all time. Krytus seemed extremely miffed all of a sudden and Vert pondered what could be the cause until the blonde coughed back a painful snort. Every part of him wanted to laugh just then when he realized that Krytus was only being pissy because his team had delivered another stinging beat-down to the reds once again. A quaint smirk twitched across his face, but he quickly frowned it away. Vert knew how Krytus would react, but he still felt the smirk trying to wriggle free.

Said red's movements were reminiscent of a trapped animal: ready to attack if provoked. Vert kept quiet, of course, amused because of Krytus' toddler temperament. The quiet air did nothing to take Krytus' mind of his burning anger; in fact the more time he spent in front of his prisoner only pissed him off more. He growled in a low tone, keeping himself from lashing out and not just offing his foe right then and there. The red paused and forced himself to unclench his hands. The Battle Force 5 had proved themselves on the field yet again his warriors had failed him. Krytus was tired of losing to the wretched insects and had punished his accomplices severely for their repeated failures, but even their pain brought him no comfort. He found his hands balled into fists again, shaking with rage until he suddenly came to a dead stop in his pacing. The tendrils of a new plan were beginning to unfurl in his mind and with them, he would strangle the very life and spirit from his foe. The red made eye contact with the human prisoner just then and Vert tensed. _Well, that couldn't be well. _

"I'm sure you're aware of how your team faired, then?" Krytus started, fixing the prisoner with a rueful stare.

"Obviously," Vert snorted, the smirk twitching again, "It's a shame I had to miss it. I think it's kind of funny to watch you reds 'pop' like confetti."

"I don't know what this 'confetti' is, but I can assure you that you have no idea what I'm planning," Krytus explained, momentarily thrown off by the earth euphemism.

"Care to cast a hint or are you just gonna leave me out to hang?"

"Very well…keep in mind that every time your team wins out there, you lose in here."

The threat was all Vert needed to foretell his immediate future, but instead of trading smart remarks, he was going to fight now that he had the chance. He could sense the battle coming and the blonde curled his hands into fists, prepared for Krytus' bull rush. The sentient did just as predicted and lunged at Vert out of rage. Vert spun on his heel and shoved the red from the back. Krytus tumbled forward and he whirled to face his rival, fangs bared. Vert had his hands up in seconds, taking a fighting stance. He felt the guttural growl of the enraged sentient vibrate the air around him. The blond had time to register the look on Krytus' face and decided that pissed off didn't even come close to the emotion his enemy was displaying just then. Vert waited for the sentient's next strike, but it never came when suddenly a large arm secured him in a deadly vice grip around the chest. The tight grasp squeezed the very breath from his lungs as he was lifted from the floor with no trouble by that brute of a sentient, Krylox. Vert struggled against the restraint, kicking deftly against the sentient's legs, but the force holding him grew worse. He strained to breathe, but the air just locked in his throat and seeped down in desperate gasps.

Krytus sneered and nodded towards his underling, who increased the force of his grip. Vert felt his vision going spotty, his oxygen being cut off almost completely. He lashed out against his sentient captor once more, but only earned an annoyed tightening. Spews of angry curses sounded from the blonde's mouth suddenly to Krytus as he struck out once more. The meaningless threats soon died down to pained mumblings as Vert focused on staying awake. It felt as if his ribs would crack at any moment and his lungs burned for oxygen as the world swam before him in a sickening haze. Krytus, having seen enough, motioned for a cessation. Krylox sighed and released his captive, watching as the prisoner slumped to the floor. A cruel smile alighted across Krytus' face as he watched Vert tried to appease his lack of breath. The sentient paced away somewhat, contemplating on his victory that day. He had surely dealt a blow, physical, but perhaps mentally as well. He understood that Vert's loyalty for his team was his greatest strength, but also his worst weakness. The revelation was all Krytus needed to exploit the human's emotions to the breaking point; when that would be, he couldn't say.

Krytus sighed to himself as he let the cell bars reactivate, trapping Vert once more. The sentient observed his prisoner a last time before departing with Krylox. As soon as they were gone, Vert slouched forward painfully. His entire chest ached and it hurt to breathe. The sudden presence of air reaching his brain sent his head reeling in dizziness and an immense pressure throbbed behind his eyes. The fast-growing headache made the brightness of the energy bars almost painful to look and so he squeezed his eyes shut, willing the darkness to consume him. Nothing happened and he was left to writhe through the pain. Through the thick of it, the most persistent feeling was the roaring thirst in the back of his throat. No water had been offered his way and it was really starting to rear its ugly head. There was tightness in his stomach from lack of food as well and the sore muscles created by Krytus' gut shot didn't help at all. Vert let his head sink onto his knees as he pushed through the pain to clear his head. His breathing came in slow, unsteady droves, but it was getting easier as long as he kept pushing his lungs to accept more.

The darkness of his closed eyes was mildly comforting and for a split-second, the blonde felt better, but the illusion vanished as his head throbbed sharply. Vert sighed and decided to distract himself in any way possible. First, he made the decision to alleviate some of the tension built up in his limbs. As he stretched, relief came like a slap to the face; the sound of popping joints almost a sickeningly sweet cacophony to his ears. The brief respite faded fast as he ran out of things to do just then. So, instead of dwelling on dark thoughts, the blonde sat back in a cross-legged position and stared out into empty space. His eyes roamed across the expanse of the holding bay, registering one color after another: red, dark red, crimson, neon red, some mottled patches of maroon…Vert knitted his brow together and was coming close to the decision of hating red, but then he remembered his shocksuit and that idea went poof completely.

The lack of color change and scenery pushed the BF5 leader back into his thoughts. The first he came into contact with was his conversations with Krytus. As he mulled over them, something struck him as odd…in most of his rebuttals, he had gone off on the same context of a sentence each time. It played along the lines of him wishing to be dead rather than betraying his friends and living. Vert sat back somewhat and listened to the word echo in his mind. He knew that being apart of the Battle Force 5 and especially being its leader was dangerous, but up until then, the speech seemed almost like a reflexive response to him just then. The confines of the cell and the setting of where he was suddenly snapped into Vert like a bear trap. This was it then…unless some other option showed itself, his mission was going to inevitably end there. He was going have to stomach the decision of sacrificing himself for the greater good if fate had its way. The blonde halted his thoughts, feeling extremely numb to the idea of potential death, but also calm about it. If it truly came down to it, he was sure in his heart and mind that he could do it and nothing was going to stop that. There was just one thing that kept him from voicing his sureness though: a hidden want to say goodbye; to say goodbye and maybe give one last encouraging word to his team.

So many emotions swelled inside him just then and Vert just squeezed the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache and give himself a rest. The hum of the cell bars persisted long into the next hour and he let their vibrato voices lull him into a blank-slated area. For awhile, he jut gazed outward, filtering in any image he perceived. The lack of thought was soothing in its own way, but it wouldn't be enough as his hunger bit into him again. Vert groaned and hung his head at a tilt. Finally, after two hours had fluttered by, exhaustion attacked in full force. It took everything he had not to fall backwards into sleep, but he forced himself to adjust and then submitted to fatigue.


	5. The Hook Inside

**(Day 4)**

"Human, arise," a voice spoke, tone calm.

The voice sounded muddled and far away as Vert emerged from his cramped slumber to that same dreaded red reality that greeted him every morning. His eyes opened instinctively before his mind was fully awake and therefore blurred images assaulted his eyes until he managed a steady focus. Much to his surprise, the visitor for that day was Kyburi and not Krytus. His nagging confusion began to surface again, but he pushed the thoughts aside and rose to his feet, stretching the kinks from his seized joints and muscles. As soon as he was standing, the huntress roughly shoved something at him through the bars. Vert barely caught the objects as they plummeted, but he managed to save them in time. He held up the first object and it appeared to be some sort of oddly-shaped wafer. He cocked an eyebrow, wondering if it was meant to be edible. The thought of food sent a sight thrill through Vert as he observed the other object: a cylindrical canister. When he moved his hand, something sloshed around inside and he felt his throat go dry at the idea of it being water.

"Are you going to eat or not?" Kyburi hissed, eyes locked on him.

"Depends…what is it?" Vert asked as he held the wafer up.

"A nutrient supplement in a solidified form."

"So, like a cracker?" he ventured, peering at it.

"Call it what you like, but it's tasteless and its purpose is to only provide your daily needed intake of nutrients to retain proper functions," she explained, "Also, the canister contains water."

Vert, hesitant, took a long look at the wafer before biting into it and gagged on the mouthful. It was like biting into cardboard and it had virtually sucked his mouth dry of any moisture. Grimacing, he choked down the rest of the wafer and downed the remainder with water from the canister. For once, as he finished the water, his throat did not burn of thirst and the hunger had vanished completely. Whatever was in the nourishments had Vert feeling grateful towards the reds for once…it wasn't a feeling he planned on getting used to. He popped the canister shut and had no time to do anything else as Kyburi seized the object and crushed it with her hand before tossing it back to a waiting Sark. The huntress snapped her claws and the bars flashed away, but the bands formed immediately around Vert's wrists, pinning them together in front of him.

"Come, walk with me," she gestured, heading in the direction of a far-off doorway.

Vert couldn't have been more confused, but he followed after her nonetheless. As they journeyed down the hallway, he looked about and wondered where they were going. It certainly wasn't the passage Krytus always led him down and the blonde found himself increasingly on edge. His mind worked furiously, developing possible new horrors the sentient huntress might have in store for him. In a most unorthodox turn of events, his suspicions were squelched quickly as Kyburi led him out onto a skydeck. The platform had a tremendous view of the vast Red homeworld. On the horizon, he caught the inviting sight of the Blues' homeworld; its blue aura mingled with the Reds' and created a muted purple effect in the sky. A pang of sadness struck Vert suddenly as he thought of Sage. _What would his loss do to her?_ He knew his team could manage, but him and Sage had started Battle Force 5 together and they had always had a close friendship with each other. His heart went out to her and he held back a grimace. Kyburi had yet to say a word as she stood closely to the platform's edge, her hand wrapped about the railing. It almost seemed like a test, so Vert decided to jump the gun and raise a conversation between them.

"What's Krytus' game now?" he started, eyes still glued to the far-off blue planet.

"No game, unless you count survival," Kyburi answered, "Krytus doesn't want you starving to death. He needs you alive if his plan is to succeed."

"Plan? Like what?"

"Nice try, but you'll find out in time."

"There's no such thing as a straight answer with you, is there?"

"What do you mean?" she inquired, glancing his way.

"Nothing…but tell me one thing at least," Vert uttered, "Why? Why did you apologize?"

"Apologize? Your mind is playing tricks on you. Why would I ever apologize to a lesser being such as you?" she laughed with little mirth, solidifying the falseness in her stare.

"I don't know, maybe because you're not all that evil?" he guessed, seeing if she would take the bait.

"Tread lightly, human, for you are traveling down a dangerous path," she hissed suddenly, turning on him with an accusing look.

"Easy there, I'm just making guesses. No need to get defensive."

Vert observed Kyburi's actions as she dropped her pointing hand and seemed to retreat inside herself. Everything about her behavior was off to him and it made the blonde extremely suspicious. _What was the point of the two-sidedness she was suddenly displaying?_ He couldn't formulate a clear answer and this growing shroud was just thickening as the huntress turned her gaze on him again, only this time there seemed to be some new emotion, some new message behind her ginger eyes. She seemed to be struggling with something when she took a step forward without warning. The motion took Vert by total surprise as he felt her fingers graze his cheek, hovering just above the skin. He looked on at her in bewilderment when she pulled back her hand, leaving a glaring scratch down his lower cheek and jaw. The huntress' eyes changed instantly and she stepped away, a rough hiss escaping her glossy, crimson visage. Uncertainty couldn't even begin to describe the moment that had just passed between the two and Vert turned his attention to the burning scratch etched into his face, seeking a distraction just then. The two stood apart at a distance for some time before Vert mustered up another attempt to pave over the confusing awkwardness.

"So…um…why did you bring me out here?" he tried, swallowing hard.

"To ensure your sanity remains intact. Being locked up has a habit of ruining the mind," she explained, pretending as if everything was normal.

"Why is that?"

"Well…non-comprehensive prisoners are just no fun," the sentient answered with a slight purr at the end.

Vert found himself involuntarily shuddering at the dip in her voice until a thought struck him, "So, did Krytus put you up to this?"

He saw the huntress stiffen as she regarded him coldly, "No, he did not. I decided let you out of concern form my leader. Don't get any funny ideas that I mean to help you."

Her icy tone only fed Vert's perplexity even more, leaving his mind teeming with questions. First she was cruel and sadistic, then apologetic, and lastly back to her old malicious self. _What did it all mean?_ He just sighed in exasperation and regarded Kyburi with a questioning gaze, but she turned away. Her posture changed as she leaned out over the railing of the deck, her keen eyes having spotted something in the distance. It was Krytus and the others returning from patrol. Panic peaked in her slightly before she reeled it in and turned to an approaching Sark. She ordered the automaton to return Vert to his cell. The bot seized the prisoner and began to tug him back to the prison hold. Vert tripped along beside the guard, glancing over his shoulder to see Kyburi once more before the hallway entrance was slammed shut, leaving him to be lost in the darkness.


	6. One Question, No Answer

**(Earth: Handler's Corners)**

The Hub seemed to appear dull in the despaired silence of Battle Force 5. The only sounds that dared make themselves known were the steady digital beeps of Sage's quantum computer. The blue sentient ticked away as her hands worked the complex algorithms need to run most of the programs. She had been at the monitors for nearly four hours, never stopping. Up above the hidden base, the BF5 sat in the living room area as they had done before on many occasions. Agura took up the left cushion of the sofa, her knees pulled up to her chest. AJ took the right cushion with Zoom wedged in directly in between them. The reticent Maui Thai Fighter leafed through a magazine unenthusiastically while AJ thumbed through the TV channels with the volume muted. Stanford stared at the TV, headphones blaring his usual, obnoxious tunes. Spinner idly paused and unpaused his handheld video game as he sat next to Stanford; the Brit in the armchair and him on the floor. Sherman and Tezz were nowhere to be seen.

They'd been waiting been waiting for some breakthrough, some news from Sage; anything to help them form a plan. The Battle Force 5 felt incomplete without their leader and they didn't know how to plan out the rescue attempt properly. Sage had forbade any of them from making a frontal assault on the Red Sentient homeworld without better intelligence and that was exactly what she was gathering. The only thing that bugged them was that she had been working with no results prior to work with. They still had no idea where Vert had been taken, what condition he was in, or if he even still lived. The last part hit Agura the hardest. She spent every waking hour saying he wasn't dead, but every minute he wasn't there made it harder to keep reassuring everyone. She also felt extremely worried for the youngest BF5 member because Zoom hadn't said a word since Vert got taken. It was as if he had completely shutdown and was only running on autopilot.

AJ had tried to cheer the scout up, but it only made both of them feel worse. Agura settled into the couch more, but jumped when she heard the refrigerator door slam shut. She barely had time to look up and catch Tezz as he disappeared out the doorway, sipping on bottled water. Agura lowered her brow in thought and came to think that despite his lack of emotion, Tezz was just as rattled as everyone else. He and Vert had always shared an odd friendship because even if the Russian insulted their leader out of impulse rather than intention, Vert had gotten him to open up somewhat since the first time they had brought him back to Earth. Not being able to stand the stiff silence anymore, Agura decided to head into town; maybe to hang with Grace or just be alone for a little while, she didn't really know. As she headed for the garage, she stopped and gave Zoom a comforting pat on the head. The scout looked up in surprise, but he shined a faint smile her way. Even if it was a small gesture, it still helped remind him that no one else was going to get dragged off unexpectedly.

**(Red Homeworld-Prison Bay 99248)**

It was quiet for once in the holding area, Vert noted as he sat down on the floor. He had been in here for only an hour, maybe two since his talk with Kyburi and it still felt extremely early in the day…or was it afternoon? He merely shrugged the thought away as he traced lazy circles on the flooring. Boredom prodded at him constantly and he felt himself sigh, wanting desperately to talk to someone who wouldn't readily kill him at the first smart remark. A small idea popped into his head and he began to fiddle with his suit's built in comm. link. The blonde tapped into the channels, but each only offered a warbled burst of static; even the unsecured channel. Vert growled to himself as he clicked off the comm. Jammed…of course it would be jammed…why wouldn't it be? As he sat back, the urge to try again became tempting when he glanced down at the blue dial. Another few hours flew by as he dozed off. He had spent the better part of his alone time to tampering with the comm trying to get some kind of message through, but it proved fruitless every time. His head bobbed slightly as he leaned forward, head in his hand and eyes occasionally fluttering open at unknown sounds. Vert plunged in and out of the dreamless state for a good ten minutes, but time worked against him as footfalls broke the calm and Krytus came barging in; a sour expression was glued to his face at the time. Vert willed his eyes open and he stood slowly, regarding the sentient with a subdued expression. Two Sark sentries flanked Krytus and each wielded a wicked-looking stun baton. The bars vanished and the mag cuffs took their place around the prisoner's wrists yet again.

Vert groaned inwardly, becoming increasingly agitated to his lack of freedom. Krytus paid him no heed and just walked back out the prison bay door, Vert in tow by the sentries. They appeared in the familiar interrogation room and Krytus had his prisoner shoved in first before heading in after, the door sliding shut with a smooth hiss. The room was bare as it had been before and the large window, which Vert had assumed was a two-way mirror, reflected the dull interior perfectly. He immediately put a good distance between him and Krytus, unsure of what was in store for the session that time. The Red walked off towards the mirror, menacing image reflected and almost intensified by the fluorescent lighting from above. Krytus said nothing to the prisoner for a long while; as if he was content to let the raw silence eat away at Vert's patience. Vert shifted his weight from one foot to another, slightly bored with the wait. He examined his foe's image and couldn't discern anything from it. The blonde didn't actually get to do much as Krytus broke the barrier between them.

"Your friends are…resilient," he started, eyes quickly assessing Vert's image.

"They're trained to deal with anything," Vert replied nonchalantly.

"That may be the cause, but they suffer just as much; especially the small one."

"Small one?"

"The one on the cycle. He seems…particularly distracted by your absence. Kytren nearly had the boy if your tank hadn't intervened," Krytus prodded, folding his hands behind him.

This time Vert made sure to restrain his reaction, but he felt extremely alarmed at that point. If something happened to Zoom…how would his team pull through _that_?" Thank God for the Cortez brothers. They were always looking out for the others and that close friendship was really paying off. The blonde mentally cursed Kytren and that the sentient would pay if anything bad happened to his little buddy. He felt his face flush in anger and that was the only indication Krytus got from Vert that the news meant anything to the Battle Force 5 leader. The red still hadn't moved from his spot, but he had angled himself so that he was facing towards Vert just then.

"My team will always fight," Vert challenged, eyes flashing in assurance.

"That's exactly what I need," Krytus smirked, "The more they do, the more they are forced to confront their feelings of loss towards you. Such emotions can be a liability on the field and can have _unfortunate_ results."

"Threaten me all you like, Krytus, threaten my team if you have too, but the Earth will never be yours!"

"In time, human, it shall be and it will be you that gives it to me."

"Never," Vert growled.

The sentient dismissed the prisoner's retort and signaled one of the waiting Sark. The sentry came around and seized Vert by the arms as the second one circled to the front of the prisoner. He managed to catch the whine pitched into the air as the second Sark activated its stun baton. The automaton approached slowly and Vert glanced warily between it and Krytus. The red looked him up and down before he questioned Vert once more on the Earth's location. The blonde just scoffed at Krytus' persistence. The sentient growled and warned that if Vert kept up playing dumb, it would only bring more pain. The Battle Force 5 leader offered no reply, just a steely gaze. Krytus tried once more, but delayed Vert the chance to answer as he snapped his fingers and immediately the Sark jammed the baton into the prisoner's side. Vert jumped as a dampened electrified shock permeated his suit. It felt like he was getting attacked by a swarm of angry bees and they just kept stinging. The Sark pulled the baton away abruptly and Vert slumped forward, heart racing. Krytus glared down at him and repeated his question. The blonde just returned the heated gaze and spat in the sentient's direction. The small act of defiance returned to bite him as his face contorted in pain when the baton returned. This carried on for a few more tries, but Vert never answered. Angry and impatient, Krytus dismissed the Sark, leaving him and Vert alone.

Vert forced himself to stand and wobbled slightly, his entire left side numb to the touch and tingling in some parts. He knew the nerves had blacked out under the strain, but they would awaken later in full force. A dark snarl reached his ears as his eyes met Krytus'. Everything about the gaze screamed murder, but he smirked; knowing Krytus wouldn't kill him…at least not then, anyways. The cocky smirk that had plastered itself to Vert's face only stirred Krytus' hatred even more and the sentient made the snap decision that his prisoner needed some common sense perhaps beaten into him. His fingers curled shut and Krytus approached Vert like a rabid predator stalking its prey. Vert's smile vanished and he sensed the fight coming. It was a feeling he'd grown used to when it came to his sentient rival. He braced himself for the future clobbering and in the back of his mind, he knew it would be the first of many to come…questions was: would he live through this one?


	7. Grievances Unheard

**A/N: Make sure to pay attention to the NUMBER OF DAYS**

**(Day 8)**

**Earth: Handler's Corners**

The sun seemed particularly a little too gleeful as it cast its rays down on the quaint town of Handler's Corners. The desert heat rolled off the sandy lands in droves and doing a shimmery waltz across the blacktop of the diner parking lot. Inside, the air was pleasant, seats and table tops cool to the touch, and an inviting aroma of baking pizza permeated the atmosphere wafting in from the kitchen. One of the large booths was filled to the brim with its usual batch, Battle Force 5. The team hadn't shown their faces around town for quite some time and so with a little goading, had to force themselves to make an appearance to keep up their disguises. The one visit that they had chance lacked its usual pep and zeal as each individual picked at their pizzas. Agura stared blankly out the window while the Cortez Bros talked quietly to each other. Stanford murmured comments every now and again when he picked up on the conversation. AJ was slightly more cheery than the others, but that was just natural for him and Tezz had resigned himself to an opposite booth, content to run calculations and munch on his salad alone. It was Zoom who gave it away that something was deeply troubling the team. He just sat there between Agura and AJ, eyes glued to the table; never talking, never moving, never even batting an eye... From behind the counter, it was Grace who picked up on the signs and she watched in silent concern for a while before deciding to make herself know. With an idea in mind, she scraped together a batch of refills for the group of friends and made her approach.

"Hey guys!" Grace chirped, forcing her questions into a tight smile, "How's it going?"

"Absolutely, positively miserable, Grace," Stanford griped without realizing it until he received an elbow to the side.

"Fine. Everything's fine," Agura just about growled, "He's just being melodramatic is all."

"Melodramatic? About what?"

"Um...Vert's been...out of town for the past week and he's just being a baby," Agura responded hastily, casting a warning glare at Stanford.

"Okie dokie then, I guess I'll let you guys get back to your lunch then," Grace responded half-heartedly then.

"Thanks Grace."

Still concerned, but knowing it wasn't her place to push, Grace pulled away from the group and returned to her daily tasks as the only waitress of Zeke's Diner. Without warning, there was a loud chorus of complaints and a rattling of plates as if some great tumult taking place behind her. Whipping around, Grace stared wide-eyed in confusion at the ensemble of friends and took note of a certain person's absence. She looked about the dining area and wondered aloud where Zoom had gone. Agura was the first to answer, trying to hastily cover up how the BF5 scout had just picked up and ran out. With a quick excuse, Agura bolted out the door in a more orderly fashion after her young friend. Her hunting skills kicked in immediately as she began to track Zoom's steps from the dropped soda cup to the scuffs on the blacktop. All signs pointed her in the direction of the diner's side and that was where she found him. She made her approach on quiet footsteps and sat down at the picnic table without a word. All she did was just pull Zoom in a tight hug and just held him. After a short while, the scout stared up at the huntress with puffy eyes and blotched cheeks and she tried to smile at him, but her eyes must have said something else to the scout as he suddenly turned the hug on her. His grip was a lot tighter than hers, but just as comforting as Agura finally let her emotions show and the two friends just held each other as they both cried out the grieving spell.

**(Red Homeworld-Prison Bay 99248)**

What day was it? Just how long had he been there? These questions flowed through Vert's mind as he lay on the ground, unmoving. He dared not to or risk passing out again from the sore pains of his body. His thoughts remained muted in a fuzzy haze as he tried to discern what was reality and what was a dream. The red-garbed leader had lost count of the days as the relentless beatings forced him into a suspend state of mind. The unmerciful attacks just went on and on sometimes and it was affecting his sleep severely. The times he got to rest were scarce and far apart. With a groan, Vert adjusted on the hard floor, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He hadn't bothered to look at all since the tortures had started, but he knew in the back of his mind that his body was caked in a kaleidoscope array of bruises. The last beating he had hadn't been more than an hour ago and Vert knew why Krytus was being extra cruel that day. It was because the Reds had lost to Battle Force 5 once more and it was almost a slap to the face when Krytus decided to put Vert back in a cramped cell in his condition. Sometimes after one of the interrogations, the sentient would just leave his prisoner there for the night.

The only positive outlook Vert could find was in the brief moments of respite that Kyburi provided him. She would at least see to keeping him fed. It was so odd, her recent behavior, and he still remained unsure of her motives. It was sometime after the pain began to divide his focus that Vert stopped trying to understand what the huntress was doing. With a heavy sigh, he let his tired eyes fall shut only to snap open ten minutes later as the nightmarish visions passed. His heart raced as his sluggish mind processed the dreams; all of them circling around his friends, his life, childhood memories, etc. The blonde frowned as a deep want to see them again suddenly flooded his heart, but he knew he wouldn't. He would die on that god-forsaken planet in the name of justice...or something cliché like that...

Vert halted his train of thought and squashed those words immediately. The Earth was well worth the sacrifice and if he gave up, it would spell certain doom for everyone he loved, but it only seemed more tantalizing as he considered giving up...anything for one full night of sleep...no, he couldn't and he stopped the landslide of thoughts right then and there. Eventually his eyes fell shut once more, the hum of the bars hypnotizing him into a dull sense of peace. His thoughts always attacked him in that weakened state, so he redirected their approach down a more recent path. He realized he hadn't seen Kyburi since that morning and she usually stopped by once or twice daily. The occurrence was still extremely strange to Vert, but if he ever tried to pursue the reasons behind her actions, he either got a threat or she changed the subject completely. The sudden sounds of a scuffle roused Vert from his thoughts as curiosity got the better of him and he pushed himself halfway off the ground with great strain.

Shouts reached his ears, but they were too far off to make sense and Vert struggled to his feet, hope bubbling. Was it his team? Did they actually manage to find him? The red-garbed leader fidgeted in anticipation, but the moment seemed a tad anti-climactic as Kyburi pranced into the holding bay, posture revealing nothing to be amiss. Vert cocked his head in confusion at her, but she shook hers and sliced the air in front of her neck. So he held back the batch of questions building inside him until finally Kyburi gave him the go ahead to speak, "What's going on?"

"It's...a new prisoner," she said in a low tone.

"New prisoner?" Vert stared at her before the answer sunk in, "No...it can't...it just can't..."

"Yes, it is-"

"How? How did they get him?"

"I had no choice. I had to do it. If Krytus ever found out-"

"Found out what, exactly?" Vert interrupted, eyeing her dangerously.

"If he ever found out that I changed...that I betrayed him..."

"Wait...are you saying that me and you are...allies?...friends?"

Kyburi seemed to hesitate, but nodded as she put a sincere look on her face. Doubt's shadow crossed Vert's mind as he battled the conflicting thoughts. So, apparently she had just randomly switched sides...okay then. Unable to think a good response, the red-garbed leader decided to extend his hand towards her instead. Kyburi regarded the small gesture incredulously before shaking it firmly with her own; a symbol of their supposed partnership. The magnitude of the event weighed heavily on Vert's mind briefly, but a suspicious thorn kept itself embedded in the decision. Could he really trust Kyburi? Vert couldn't answer and he almost felt like he had no other choice but to accept it. Kyburi's hand flew from his as the door to the prison bay slid aside, revealing Krytus. He had a smug look, more than usual, and he sauntered up to Vert's cell; obviously there to brag.

"Hello, human," he greeted with a fanged grin.

"Oh save it, Krytus, I already-" Vert rasped, but shut up immediately when he registered Kyburi's alarmed stare.

"You already, what?"

"Nothing...what do you want? Come to beat me up some more or did you just miss me?"

"I'd watch out, human, "Krytus warned, "You have more to be concerned about now than yourself."

"Is that so?" Vert replied, snarkiness gone.

"Quite. We have a special guest that's going to be staying here awhile. You'll be meeting him shortly. Maybe, after we, have another chat."

"Greetings human," a cruel voice echoed across the confines of the room, "I see you're awake at last.

Krytus sauntered across the length of the interrogation room and towered above the curled form of Vert who clutched at his sides in pain and exhaustion. The red-clad leader was hauled to his feet by the back of his shocksuit and made to stand. Vert tried to remain straight, but he was in too much pain and the claws of agony kept him doubled over. Krytus cackled as he overlooked the damage he had done to his prisoner: Vert's eye swollen shut, dark bruises lining his jaw and throat, and a battered body. The sadictive sentient couldn't have asked for a better situation. He circled Vert once before pausing in front of the hunched prisoner. Forming an idea, Krytus boasted a threatening taunt and got the response he was expecting. Vert lunged for the sentient and found his gut connecting with Krytus' fist, stealing the breath from his lungs. Vert sank to the ground in a fit of coughs as he clutched at his abdomen, head swirling in delirium. Krytus smiled darkly and turned away from the wretching prisoner. Vert struggled to breath as dizziness struck him. It hurt to think as he stared at Krytus' exposed back. He'd been stuck in the interrogation room for hours upon end with barely enough time to recover between Krytus' visits. Each time he returned, the tortures got worse. He had no time to react when Krytus rounded on him, fist poised to strike. Vert flinched away, but the blow never came. The only thing he registered was the humiliation of falling for his captor's trick as Krytus laughed throatily.

Vert felt his blood boil in anger at Krytus' control over him. Not thinking clearly, the BF5 leader rose shakily, preparing to rush the sentient when a crippling pain lanced down his back. With of a cry of surprise, Vert slipped to his hands and knees; smoke curling from his shocksuit. The whine of a stun baton became apparent to him as a Sark stepped up, holding the weapon close to the prisoner's back again. The shocking pain returned and he was forced onto his side as his body convulsed in agonizing spasms. Krytus waved the guard away, stepping over Vert in sick amusement. The blonde gasped out loud when he finally found his breath, the tension in his muscles fading. The room spun as he was jerked off the ground by a forceful hand. Krytus' blood red visage poisoned his line of sight afterwards, the sentient's expression unreadable until their faces were inches apart.

"You really are a glutton for punishment," Krytus whispered in a hiss, "What did you hope to accomplish by attacking me?"

"Maybe take you down a peg or two," Vert rasped, trying to not go cross-eyed. "It'd be real embarrassing to explain to your girlfriend that you got your shell cracked by me, wouldn't it?"

Vert felt his stomach drop as he was thrown to the floor in anger. He skidded a few centimeters as Krytus moved in. He managed to his knees when the sentient's foot flew out, connecting with Vert's side. The blonded rolled back, gasping as another kick sent his back colliding with the wall. Krytus yelled for his prisoner to rise and fight back, but everytime Vert even got the chance, he was forced back down by a swift kick to the ribs. The sentient's fingers found Vert's hair and he was hauled upwards to his feet once more. Krytus, almost glowing with rage, slammed Vert back into the wall and delivered a powerful right hook to Vert's stomach. He kept going until the last blow felt close to a cannon blast as Krytus let go and Vert slid to the floor in pain. His throat felt raw as he coughed hard, blood spilling from his mouth. He wiped at it hesitantly before more coughing nearly choked him to the floor. Krytus stepped back, fuming, but smiling as he snapped his fingers. Two sark emerged from the doorway and collected the fallen prisoner. Their master directed them to them to the far off wall where chains hung. Vert tried to struggle, but he was soon bound to the wall; wrists and neck shackled heavily to it. Krytus cleared his throat once, drawing the blonde's attention away from the restraints to a remote in the sentient's grasp.

"Earth's coordinates, boy. Tell me."

Vert, through the swelling in his face, mananged a weak glare and kept his mouth shut. The defiance was answer enough and Krytus frowned in mild irritation. He shrugged it off and with a fanged smirk, thumbed the remote in his hand. At once an electric charge jumped through Vert's restraints and sent volts of electricity into his bound limbs. The surge jolted his muscles back into painful spasms and Krytus increased the output. A scream ripped clean from his mouth as he pulled against the restraints, but they held and he screamed louder as the electric charge tore through his abused nerves. The shocking stopped suddenly as Krytus thumbed the device. Vert slumped forward, panting and trying to control the painful twitches in his muscles. A taunting fingered hovered above the power control as Krytus asked him once more. The violent shocks returned when Vert didn't answer quick enough and the red-clad leader was soon dragged back down into pain. He felt like his mind was on overload as he convulsed against the chains, his throat aching as another scream ripped from him. His vision went whited out when the charge spiked and his body went slack as he passed out against the wall. Krytus growled in frustration as he eyed his prisoner. He walked out with a growl, leaving Vert chained.

Hours passed when Vert finally came too, his mind a blur of motion as he looked around. The only thought at the forefront of his mind was the terrible ache in his body. His neck protested his movements, but he needed to know if Krytus was still there. The lights were dimmed for once and he had to squint to see in the darkness. No one was with him, that much he could tell. He groaned aloud, letting his head hang for a second as he tried to pull at the wrist cuffs. The chains jangled in his ears as his hands remained suspended in them. He sighed angrily, straightening his stiff legs and back. The blonde leaned backwards on the wall, trying to find comfort in its support. He tried desperately to ignore where he was, wanting nothing more than to sleep. He drifted off for a second, but started awake when flashes of his team flooded his mind. Fears of them being caught and tortured because of him were becoming frequent after a week of captivity on the sentient homeworld. He grimaced as he recalled the warm touch of Sage's hand to his cheek or the tightest hug that Sherman could give. He almost smiled at the thought of hearing Agura and Stanford argue or watching Tezz trying to fit in with the others. He missed it all and he closed his eyes in the hopes of waking up back home and all of this being one large, pizza-induced nightmare. Light suddenly flooded the interrogation room and Vert jerked his head up in sick anxiety. The ray in the darkness came from the doorway where a diminuitive figure lurked.

"Kyburi?" he whispered, his cracked lips twisting around her name like water.

She shushed him with a placating hiss, sealing the door behind her. Vert peered up at her curiously until she came uncomfortably close at which point he felt a pressing hand on his shoulder as she slowly undid the locks to his chains. They fell away noisily, leaving Vert only trapped to the wall by the huntress before him. He felt elated to be free, but he snapped to attention as Kyburi helped him up. He leaned on the wall heavily, legs quaking from the stress. He grunted in surprise when Kyburi closed the gap and had him pinned, her hands pressing against his shoulders. He tensed up, but noticed how the move lacked aggression; being much more gentle than he thought was possible. He was too stunned to react as she drew closer, her orange eyes gleaming in the dim light. She breathed heavily, inhaling his human scent that was like a spice to her senses. Kyburi let her claws slip up to his neck, scratching his shocksuit. She moved a hand, trailing a nail along his chin softly before she pressed her lips to his in one swift move. He went wide-eyed at her aggression, a heat spreading along his cheeks as she pulled away suddenly. The huntress stared up at him expectantly, quirking her lips upwards at the shock in his eyes. She mumbled something, pressing her mouth to his once more with tenderness and subdued passion. He was prepared that time as he took in the shape of her lips against his. They were soft and warm and he felt himself becoming clouded by a hungry desire, until he remembered who she was.

"What are you doing?" he gasped, holding her at arm's length.

"What I want," she muttered huskily, "I desire to be with a man who would willingly show me kindness.

"I don't understand...what about Krytus?"

"I'm just a toy for his self-indulgence. He uses me, human."

"But aren't you using me right now?"

"It's more than that and you can't honestly tell me you don't want this."

"K-kyburi, I don't...we c-can't. It's not right..." he stuttered, facing growing redder as she drew close.

"Let me show you how wrong it can be then," she purred lustily, gripping his chin.

Vert felt his mouth go dry as she stared deep into his eyes, a cloud of lust fogging his senses. His conscience screamed for him to get a hold of the situation and stop her. His body worked against him as his arms fell away and she pressed in close, pinning him to the wall. He grew acutely aware of their bodies touching, the sensation so foreign he nearly protested until her mouth found his again. She massaged her lips against him luxuriously and his defenses seemed to melt beneath her fire. The moment grew more heated and in a daring motion, he wrapped his arms around her petite waist. He deepened their kiss, his mind hazy as she circled her arms around his neck. They stayed together for a minute, Kyburi's melodic purrs vibrating in his head before she pulled away. Her ginger gaze was alight as she took in his flushed cheeks and hungry eyes. He didn't protest as he was shoved against the wall, her mouth finding his neck. She trailed teasing nips along his bare skin, making him shudder when she licked away the blood. She snickered to herself, her former foe like putty in her claws as she grasped his hand and towed him behind her as she trailed to the door. Her fading affection left Vert a window of clarity as he blinked several times. He shook off his lust haze and a sickening feeling nailed him in the gut as she tugged him down several corridors. He glanced nervously over his shoulder, fearing the sudden appearance of Krytus or any of the other reds. He ran into her when they halted, Kyburi misreading his action as impatience. She growled huskily, dragging him into the next room. He knew where he was at once, his face paling at the wide chamber. Orange globes of light floated lazily in the air as she pulled him towards a central platform.

"Kyburi, wait. I can't do this," he pleaded, finding a voice of reason at last.

"Why not? You seemed so accepting of it minutes ago," Kyburi drawled, her voice low and unsettling, "Do you think me unworthy of you, human?"

"What? No! I just...what if Krytus-"

"Oh ease yourself. Even he knows not to enter my quarters unannounced."

"Still though. We're supposed to be enemies. I could never explain to the others..."

"Then don't. This can be forever between us if you would just shut your mouth and let go," she hissed.

It was as if she had cast some spell over him when his protests died in his throat as she attacked his lips once more with hers. It wasn't long until her advances had pushed them to the edge of the platform, Vert stumbling backwards across the lip of it. Kyburi purred sadistically, climbing atop him as her claws ravaged his suit. She drew red lines along his neck as she kissed him hungrily. His body molded to hers without question and he lost himself in a daze as she had her way; peeling away what protection he had between them. The next hour was spent in a questionable bliss as Kyburi showed him the wonders of a sentient and he showed her the energy of a human. He fell into a deep sleep beside her, his mind bogged down in her exotic spell. Her warmth disappeared from his arms as she flashed away to recharge her core.


	8. A New Arrival

**(Day 8: Nightfall)**

Vert awoke, drunk with sleep as he scrubbed his face tiredly. He sat up on his elbows awkwardly trying to figure out where he was. He briefly thought for a second that he was home when the dark room looked nothing like the interrogation cell, but his hopes deflated when his hand brushed a solid object. He grasped it cautiously, bringing it to eye level and he sighed, shame filling his heart like a poison. He set Kyburi down carefully in her hybernative state, fumbling for his discarded clothes. He pulled them on as fast as he could, his face reddening as he recalled everything they did hours before in crystal-clear detail. He sat back down on the central platform, massaging his face as he tried to swallow past the thickness in his throat. He cringed when he thought of just how badly he had betrayed his team's trust by so casually letting Kyburi take advantage of him. It made him almost sick, but there were more things to worry about as he reached around and grasped Kyburi's cerebral prism in his gloved hand. He pressed down on the central pad, rousing the slumbering sentient. She flashed into existence, settling into his arms with a purr as she regarded him with a sultry leer. He tried to hide his grimace as he shook her lightly, trying to make her more aware.

"Kyburi," he almost whispered.

"Is our night of fun over already, human?" she purred, gliding a nail along his chin.

"This has to stop. It's too dangerous for you and me."

"The risk is its own reward, but very well. You know I can't just return you to the interrogation cell. Krytus is bound to have noticed you missing."

"I was afraid of that. He'll be pissed to know I got loose."

"Leave that to me," Kyburi stated simply.

She didn't elaborate further as she leapt from his arms, landing gracefully. She turned on him at once, tender gaze gone as she reached out and gripped his wrist painfully. He reeled back in shock, his face contorted in confusion as she yanked him upwards. She skirted around him, pinning his arms behind his back with a growl. She kicked at his leg to get him walking. She dug her claws in for good measure as he was forced out into the hall. Two Sark guards were approaching their position hurriedly when she called for them. Vert looked back to her in question and she hissed in his ear to feign a struggle and play along or Krytus wouldn't be convinced. Vert, flustered with their sneaking around, pulled away from her grasp. The huntress fell back as Vert pushed her off, but the Sark were already there to apprehend him. They weren't nearly as gentle as they bound his wrists and forced him down the corridor. They chirped incomprehensibly to each other as they led him back to the interrogation cell. Krytus was already at the door, his large shoulders rising and falling in a fury Vert had never seen. He seized the prisoner by the front of his shocksuit, growling at him when Kyburi sauntered up behind the guards. Krytus turned to her, his flaring gaze zeroing in on her faked expression of disgust for the human.

"It seems your pet got loose in the night," she trilled, flicking her nail at Vert's back.

"Where did you find him?" Krytus demanded, shifting his focus back to the human.

"The little rat took shelter in my chambers by mistake. He never even saw me coming."

"You dare go into my woman's chambers, you filthy whelp?! I should kill you for even looking at her!"

"I never laid a hand on her, so stop thinking with your manhood and get off your high horse!" Vert bit back, face flushing angrily.

"That tears it!" Krytus swore, reaming Vert across the face with a violent slap. He did it again and again before his hand formed into a fist to the prisoner's jaw. His next strike might have broken Vert's jaw had Kyburi not intervened suddenly.

"Krytus, control yourself!" she called, grasping his arm tightly. "Do not kill your only source to Earth for the sake of my honor. Leave him to rot in his cell until morning."

The sentient yowled in anger, shaking Vert hard enough to leave his head spinning. Krytus dragged his prey back to the individual cells, tossing him into the glowing red bars like a rag doll. The blonde hit the floor hard as Krytus stalked off, Kyburi looking back only for a moment before she too left. Vert groaned inwardly and held his head, trying to clamp out the pain; his headache was now building up tremendously. A simple noise seemed like an explosion to his ears and bright light only nauseated him. His entire body ached from the sentient tortures and he just didn't want to use anymore strength he had left to move. The blonde leveled himself into a sitting position and he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the going-ons around him, but it seemed as if everything was working against him that evening as a voice pierced his ears.

"Vert?" the voice sounded as there was movement and then it came again, "Is that you?"

Vert managed to direct his attention towards the voice's source and was greeted by an aged reflection of himself. Jack Wheeler returned the stare and he breathed out a gasp. His son's appearance was so changed that he almost didn't recognize him. In the dim lighting, Jack was able to see a number of bruises along Vert's jaw and cheeks; wincing especially when he caught sight of the darkened ring around Vert's left eye, the area so swollen Vert almost couldn't see. His overall body posture told Jack how physically drained his son was being kept as prisoner on the Red Homeworld. He pulled free from the Sark guard and instinctively moved to help his son, but Vert called out for his dad to halt. Confused and wary, Jack stopped mid-stride with a protest until Vert pointed out the electrified bars caging him in. Jack frowned, but nodded in understanding as his son finally greeted him with a tired hello. For Vert, it was nice to see his father again, but fear walked hand-in-hand with the happiness. Krytus was right, of course, that the BF5 leader had more to worry about just then. He had never wanted to get his dad involved, but it was an unavoidable fault. The Sark made itself known as it ushered Jack into a cell directly across from Vert's, but with just enough room to keep the prisoners isolated.

"Vert, what did they do to you?" Jack inquired.

"Nothing I can't take," Vert responded, trying to sound less tired than he really was.

"Well, whatever it is, you look like hell," his dad half-joked and earned a dry chuckle in response.

"I may hurt, but it's not as bad as it looks," Vert lied, hoping to throw his dad off his trail.

"Uh huh…so…how long have you been here?"

"I have no possible clue…maybe a week?"

Jack fell silent on his next question as he saw his son's expression dip into exhaustion. He faked a yawn to signal Vert they were done talking and the blonde gave a grateful yawn to his father before settling onto the floor. Within a few minutes, his breathing evened out and Vert was out. Jack took a set himself and watched Vert for awhile, trying to contemplate their situation. His son had been through so much, obviously, and yet he still remained strong in the face of Krytus' wrath. He really had grown, even more than Jack had ever anticipated. His reflection ended abruptly as a familiar sentient came prowling into the prison bay and confronted the trapped human. Jack stood up in a rush of anger and nearly shouted out a threat to Krytus, but his voice died away as he remembered his son was sleeping. The sentient stopped short of Jack's cell and the two regarded each other with mild interest.

"Enjoying your stay, human?" Krytus taunted in a whisper.

"Not as much as I'll enjoy wringing your neck when I get out of here," Jack answered.

"Bold words for the one behind the bars."

"Well, I'm not my son. I don't have anything to lose; therefore, I got plenty of room to be bold.

"Are you so sure? Do you really have nothing to lose?" Krytus hissed, gesturing to the unconscious Vert.

"He's strong. You'll never break him," Jack growled with absolute confidence.

"That was never my plan with you in the picture. If it happens, it's really just a bonus for me. He adamantly believes I'm going to torture you to get to him. How self-minded and naïve."

"You're sick," Jack muttered, "When he hears about this-"

"I must stop you there, really, for you are only going to make things worse for him."

"What…do you mean?"

"If you tell him, it's only going to make it worse. If he finds out I'm torturing him to get to you, it will only give him something else to chew on. It'll surely become too much for him to focus on and it'll only break your son down faster, which I'm sure is what you want to avoid."

"Krytus, you conniving son of a-"

"It's late, human, so I shall leave you to make your decision, but make sure to have it by morning."

"What happens in the morning?" Jack inquired heatedly.

"Good night, human."

Jack watched after Krytus in despaired confliction and sank to the floor as soon as the sentient was gone. He stared fixedly at the slumbering form of his son and his breathing hitched. He knew that if he agreed, he could keep Vert from knowing, but if Krytus decided to tell him anyways, they'd both be screwed. Not to mention, it might put Vert and Jack at odds with each other if Vert began to think his dad didn't trust him. Sighing, Jack buried his face in his hands and spent the remainder of the night and early into the next morning trying to decide.

**(Day 9) **

By the time the lights flashed back on, he sat exhausted and still no closer to a decision. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and let his gaze flicker over towards Vert who still slept, but with a growing amount of agitation. Vert's eyes fluttered occasionally and he muttered something incoherent before turning over. Jack vaguely wondered if the dream was a good one, but judging by his son's expression, it wasn't. A few minutes passed before Vert woke with a start, his eyes wide as the nightmare faded. A low groan reached empty as he stared at the ceiling in a groggy fog. Jack eyed his son with scrutiny before asking if the nightmares were frequent. Vert didn't bother to look over, but he did try to hide the reddened embarrassment flushing across his face. He shrugged and admitted that they came and went, but they came with the job of being the leader of a team that faced down death every day.

Jack listened intently and was shocked at the idea of his son actually being afraid of the sentients. The quaint thought was shushed immediately as Jack decided it wasn't the fear of the sentients that his son had, it was the fear of failing. That made much more sense as Jack watched his son quietly. Vert, now fully awake, rose to stretch out the kinks in his muscles. He was rewarded with a series of relieving pops and he sighed to himself with a slight smile. He stretched out his arms and twisted his back until everything felt better. The BF5 leader relaxed his shoulders and finally met his dad's gaze. Jack recalled Krytus' words and knew something was in store for them that morning, but he wasn't sure what. The revelation made his stomach churn as he thought about it, but he made no motion of showing what he was contemplating; no need to make his son worry more than he already did.

Vert's face fell into a scowl as Krytus, Krylox, and Kytren entered the prison bay unannounced. Seeing so many of the reds at once immediately set the blonde on edge and he stiffened as the bars caging the prisoners in faded away and the mag bands flashed into place around their wrists. Vert saw his dad begin to struggle against the cuffs and he couldn't help shaking his head. There was no use trying to fight against the restraints; there was just no way to undo them. He only made a slight fuss as Krylox seized him by the arms and the sentient shook the fight right out of him with a painful grasp. Vert huffed in agitation as the brute gave him a shove forward and he began to move where they wanted him to go when he paused suddenly. Things weren't going very smoothly as Kytren struggled with the captive Jack. He squirmed in the scout's hold and managed to sock him across the face before a Sark intervened, stun baton searing into the prisoner's side. Jack gasped as he fell away from the onslaught and was caught by Kytren who growled out fragmented curses. Vert felt his anger boiling as he fought against Krylox's grip to get to Kytren just then, but the brute kept the prisoner in check. Krytus observed the display with amusement and laughed as he ordered the two be separated. Alarmed by his words, Vert increased his resistance, but was thrust forward and out of sight of his father. Jack glared dangerously at Krytus, but kept his threats to himself as the sentient reminded him to be wise instead of brash in his situation.

The trip was short for Vert as he was pushed into the interrogation room. The door slid shut behind him and sealed itself tight. Surprisingly as it locked into place, the mag bands around his wrists disappeared. He took advantage of the momentary lapse in security and began to search for a way out, but the door wouldn't budge and the mirror dominating the far wall felt too thick to crack, let alone break it. He pulled back from the sealed exits and began to take stock of what was at his disposal in the room. It was starkly barren by what he could tell except for a lone hook that hung from the ceiling directly in the center. His vision lingered on the sharp object and wariness began to snake its way through him. The blonde wasn't sure what its use was, but he knew very well he never wanted to find out. Anxiety ripped into him as he lingered by the two-way mirror, his dad's situation on his mind. What would happen to him? Would they kill Jack to get to Vert? The sudden idea made the blood drain from Vert's features as he leaned against the wall for support. The loss would become a noose waiting to be used in the near future, that much he suspected.

Vert hesitated as he stared into the mirror, his reflection pale and tired as he wondered if he could possibly put on a brave face and let Krytus get away with murder. His dad would want him too; the team would expect it of him, but would never ask him to. Vert swallowed past the lump in his throat and turned away from the mirror, his weary look not helping to reinforce his resolve to stay strong. Much to his chagrin, Krytus appeared in the doorway as the entrance slid open. Kyburi was tailing the lead red as usual and she greeted him with a deceptively cold look. He felt himself glowering back, but the emotion was one of raw hatred and not the fake disgust he'd been aiming for. He blinked the glare away, mentally chiding himself for the lapse in judgment. They were allies after all, but then he began to figure that the sudden hatred had been spawned by the morning's recent events.

Krytus sauntered towards the center of the room, stopping just beneath the hook. He stared towards Vert in some hidden triumph and it made the human's skin crawl. The blonde tensed under the sentient's gaze, but his own stare laid elsewhere. He watched in apprehensive curiosity as Kyburi handled a metal box in her grasp that he hadn't seen before. Vert felt his eyes dragged to the container like a magnet and he briefly considered what could be hidden within until Krytus regained his awareness. The sentient's hand grasped the front of the prisoner's shocksuit as Vert was pulled forward. The two were soon face to face and Krytus wasn't giving him room to think.

"I'm surprised you have even managed to last a week in my care," Krytus remarked, "Most of those blues you so stupidly defend broke after the third day. Quite pathetic, if you ask me."

"What can I say? Maybe I'm stronger than you anticipated," Vert returned, "Kind of a stupid turn on your part, if you ask me."

"We'll see after today, human. Be as cocky as you like, it doesn't make a difference in my book. You'll tell me the coordinates to Earth sooner or later."

"I'll never tell you, Krytus."

"Are you quite certain you won't?" Krytus taunted, letting Vert go and putting a small space between them, "Not even to save yourself? Not even to save your precious father?"

"You leave him out of this!" Vert snapped, anger building, "He has nothing to do with our fight!"

"On the contrary, he almost has everything to do with it. You're not cooperating now, but when I go to have a chat with him, you might find yourself more inclined to-"

Krytus never finished his boast as his head snapped to the side unexpectedly. He felt pain blossom along his jaw from Vert's savage right hook. The red stood there, stunned, with eyes frozen open when he rounded on Vert in a burst of pure rage. The angered sentient lunged forward and tackled the surprised human to the ground. They tussled along the floor until Vert managed to kick Krytus off and stumbled to his feet only to find himself slammed against the wall. The force of the collision left Vert breathless as he tried to evade a crushing punch from his enemy. Pulling away at the last second, Vert spun away and left Krytus' punch to crush into the wall behind them. The attack had enough force to leave a small dent and Vert went on the defensive as Krytus rushed him head on with a harsh series of punches. The red-garbed leader briefly wondered if he could even win in his state and he got his answer as he was pummeled to the floor. Determination flaring, Vert moved to get up, but Krytus cut him off as the sentient stepped down on the center of Vert's chest, pinning the human in place. The red pressed down hard and Vert desperately tried to pry the foot from its spot. Krytus leaned down so that he was close and he let loose a throaty snarl as he hauled Vert to his feet by the front of his shocksuit. Vert gripped Krytus' wrists and tried to twist away, but his feet had zero purchase to the floor as they dangled inches above it.

Krytus set the prisoner down and before Vert had time to react, the mag bands flashed back into place. His arms were successfully pinned in front of him and Vert scowled. It seemed his small window of freedom had just been slammed shut and Krytus made it extremely obvious as the sentient glared down at him. Kyburi watched the proceedings silently before departing at Krytus' gesture. Vert clenched his fist together and tugged at the bonds. Krytus circled Vert once before stopping in front of the two-way mirror, his eyes roaming over the glossy surface. Vert paused and took notice of the odd stare the sentient held the mirror in. It seemed distant…almost as if he was peering at someone beyond the glass. Was there someone watching them? The blonde directed his own gaze to the mirror, but ceased when he found the sentient peering at him, his reflected eyes livid with fire.

It surprised Vert as Krytus suddenly turned on him, the two squaring off once more. What was he going to do? The blonde visually winced at the reoccurring memories of his more recent savage encounters with the red. He could have sworn that Krytus had come close to breaking a few of his bones, but it never went farther than that. The sentient always restrained himself from crueller punishments because he might accidentally kill his own prisoner…funny how Kyburi always seemed to be present at those interrogations. The red-clad leader straightened as he finally registered that the huntress wasn't there. Did that mean that the interrogation was going to be far worse than it ever had? A small part of Vert felt himself wishing that Krytus would go easy, but he knew better. He had the fullest notion that their meetings would become worse from then on out. His initial suspicions were correct as Krytus began the questioning once more. Vert offered him his same sarcastic rebuttal. The red's frame flashed as fire lapped at the contours of his shape and he moved in close, staring his prisoner dead in the eye. Vert didn't even flinch back as Krytus invaded his personal space.

"I'll give you one last chance. Tell me where Earth is," Krytus whispered through clenched teeth."

"Never."


	9. A Crack

**IMPORTANT A/N: I have made updates to the end of chapter 7 and beginning of chapter 8 that are key to understanding why Kyburi is playing nice with Vert. I suggest you read it before continuing ahead.**

**(Day 9: cont)**

Jack sat locked within an empty room save for a lone chair that he was bound to. Just on the wall before him was the two-way mirror into the interrogation cell. Through it he could see everything he wasn't prepared for. The first scene was Vert being shut into the cell just beyond the mirror and Jack tried to call out to his son. Of course it wouldn't have worked; accomplishing in only making his voice echo in the confines of his space. Jack stopped fidgeting when he looked at his son's face. Distress couldn't even begin to cover the look he saw pass over Vert's face as he stood by the mirror. He looked trapped and very concerned, fear tingeing his bright blues. Jack moaned angrily, knowing very well that Vert wasn't focused on anything but his father at the moment. He wished he'd forget about his old man, but a Wheeler never turns his back on people he cared for. Not in a million years would Vert ever stop worrying about Jack; they were too much alike: stubborn and willful, strong and compassionate. Jack knew Vert would fight now that someone's life really hung in the balance, but Krytus knew that too.

So, it didn't surprise Jack when a conflict broke out between his son and the sentient in the middle of the interrogation cell. It filled Jack with pride when he saw Vert get in a right hook across Krytus' smug face. The emotion was bittersweet though as the sentient herded Vert into a painful defeat. He wanted so much to be free just then so he could take Krytus on in a fair fight. If Jack ever got the chance, he would beat the living shell off of the RS5 leader for the damage he had done to his only son. It was almost as if the sentient had picked up on his thoughts as Krytus approached the mirror, fiery eyes boring holes into the glass. Jack met the gaze and knew what he was doing. He was giving him a chance to end his son's pain in exchange for what Jack knew. Jack nearly opened his mouth, but clamped it shut when he found Vert staring towards the mirror as well. He knew his son had no idea Jack was on the other side of the glass, but his gaze was intense; as if suspecting they were being watched. Jack saw the strength in his son's stare and it was enough to shut him up.

And then the real torture Krytus used to break his victims began. The sentient pushed Vert to the floor and delivered a series of vicious kicks to the blonde's sides and stomach. Krytus yelled at the contorted form of Vert and his harsh voice was the only thing Jack heard through the speaker system set up on his side. Other horrific sounds were sprinkled atop his yelling: the repetitive sound of his foot slamming into Vert's body and Vert's own disgruntled voice as he forced himself to not scream. Krytus circled his prisoner and refreshed his attack on Vert's back. One harsh stomp landed a kidney shot and pushed Vert past his limit as he let a yelp slip out. He cut it off as soon as he thought of it, his voice cracking into a painful whimper. The sentient paused, smirking as he stooped low and grabbed Vert by the hair, hauling his face upwards.

"Did that hurt?" he hissed menacingly, "Maybe this'll make it better."

He rose back to his full height and delivered another kick to the original spot, Vert unable to stop the yelp that time. Krytus couldn't have smiled big enough at the satisfaction he felt when he did it again. Vert whimpered in pain once more, biting his lip to stop his voice. His torturer rounded once more and kicked him square in the gut. The blonde's eyes bulged in pain, but he choked down his moan regardless. The sentient growled and kicked him repeatedly in different spots until he found one particularly bruised spot on Vert's side that he unleashed his new attack. The red stepped down heavily on the tender spot and Vert gasped in shock. It seemed to jettison lightning bolts of misery across his body and he couldn't suppress the groan that escaped his throat. Krytus' mouth twisted upwards when he realized Vert was at a critical juncture, he turned his foot savagely in time to hear his prisoner cry out. More weight was applied and Vert moaned, his face buried in his arm. This was the part he hated most. The pain was durable, but it was the satisfaction in Krytus' eyes that made him sick. He felt weak, ashamed, and he hated every moment of it. Vert grit his teeth, breathing hard as Krytus took his foot away.

Inside the observation room, Jack watched in utter disbelief. He struggled against his restraints, every fiber in his body screaming to help his son. He sighed as he sank back in the seat, knowing he could do nothing. He cringed when Krytus stamped down on the same spot several times, Vert crying out more and more with every new attack. From Jack's side of the mirror, Kytren who had been on watch duty the entire time, decided to have his own fun. The scout, with a cruel and toothy grin, increased the volume of the speakers. He smiled sickly as a loud yell breached the tiny space, making Jack flinch in surprise. It grew to be too much for Jack as he looked away, not sure if he could stomach his son's abuse much more. The one thing he regretted was not being able to shut out the god-awful sound of his son's cries of pain. He had never heard Vert sound like that; not even growing up did Jack ever think Vert capable of such a sound. The commotion only grew worse as Krytus continued and Jack felt his resolve slip a little bit each more. After a good ten minutes, Vert's now full screams had melted into an eerie silence. His father looked up hastily, fearing the worst, but seeing his son still alive and breathing brough a small amount of relief. Much to his chagrin, Krytus was not there anymore.

The door to the observation room slid open suddenly, revealing said sentient. He appeared triumphant when he took in Jack's reaction to his presence. Jack's restraints were undone for the moment and he rose heatedly, fists poised for a fight. Krytus remained stationary, watching Jack carefully. One wrong move and things would become worse for Vert was what his eyes said. Jack got the message, seething with hate, but lowered his hands nonetheless. The red nodded only once, journeying to the mirror. He beckoned Jack to join him and the new prisoner begrudgingly did as he was told. He almost wished he hadn't. Inside, he could see his son struggling to stand and only managing to his knees. He had one arm looped around his torso, holding it tenderly, but defensively. Most of his weight was supported by his other quaking arm. Vert appeared to be coughing, but the mute speakers didn't catch it. Completely confident in his son, Jack was sure Vert would be able to stand and shake it off, but his heart cracked when Vert took two wobbly steps before falling to the ground in a heap. He clutched at his side, his face pale and sweating as some new pain continued to plague him.

"You know, all of that could have been avoided if you had simply complied," Krytus taunted.

"He's strong," Jack stated, eyes never moving from his son, "And stubborn."

"And splintered; don't forget that."

"Splintered?"

"He'll break. He thinks I can't see it, but he's wrong. All it'll take is a 'kick' in the right direction," Krytus chuckled, the only one finding his pun remotely funny.


End file.
